Improvement in revenue-stamp cancelers



(146A FRANKLIN W. BROOKS.

Stamp Canceier.

N20. 121,986. Patented Dec.:I 19,187'1.

Fiano ATT ES T :JW /yVEIN-ro'.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL MANU- FAOTRING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVENUE-STAMP CANCELERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,986, dated December 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Device for Canceling Revenue and other Stamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making partof this specification.

The subject of this invention is a device by which a stamp may be secured to a barrel, box, or other object so as not to conceal it from inspection, but to absolutelyY prevent the possibility of its subsequent use. To this end I einploy a device made up of the following parts: First, a plate or frame to be permanently secured to the barrel or other package to be stamped, and containing one member of a spring-catch. Secondly, a Hap, hinged or exibly attached to the rst-named or another plate or frame, by means of which it can be secured to the barrel, and made with a large aperture for the inspection of the stamp, and provided near its free edge with the other member of the lock-c. g., a hasp to be engaged by the spring-catch when the flap is closed. Thirdly, a pivoted plate or arm, provided with spines, teeth, or pins, which puncture the stamp when it is applied, the said arm or plate being so arranged, relatively to the spring-catch or lock, that the act of turning the same to unlock and release the flap will turn the toothed plate or arm in such a manner as to tear and irretrievably deface the stamp.

In the drawing, Figure l is a plan view of the device applied to a barrel and open in readiness for the application oi' a stamp. Fig. 2 is a reversed section at a; a', Fig. 1, with the iiap open. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the stamp in position and the flap closed. Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe apparatus in modiiied form. Fig. 5 is a plan of another modification. Fig. 6 is a section at y y, Fig. 5.

A may represent the head or other part of a barrel, box, or other package. B Bl represent a plate or plates, or a frame of any form in one or more parts, to be permanently secured to the part of a barrel or box, A. U is a flap, hinged or otherwise flexibly attached to the frame B at c,

and made in skeleton form so that when it is closed down over a stamp, the latter may be exposed to view. D is a latch or hasp project-,f

ing from the flap C, near its free edge, in such position as to pass through an aperture in the plate B', Iand be engaged by a spring-catch, E, which is attached underneath the said plate. A split and barbed spike, H, Figs. /and 5, may be employed for additional security. This spike is preferably barbed on its inner surfaces, and is formed with a case-hardened head, or a steel head or core, in order to prevent drilling it out. F is a plate or arm,of any convenient form, pivoted to the plate B,`and provided with a number oi' spines or teeth, f j', which may be simple pointed pins. To render the tearing effect of these pins more complete, I prefer to apply to the under surface or' the iiap C a set of pinsgy'"u which will puncture the stamp when the said flap is closed. It is immaterial, however, whether the arm or plate F be pivoted in the iap C or in the stationary plate B. In the pivot p, on which the arm or plate F turns, is formed a key-holeto receive a key for revolving it.

The parts O B F may be made of sheet or cast metal, as preferred, a suitable recess or cavity being formed in the iiap O to allow the toothed plate or arm F to play beneath it. By making the iiap C of cast metal, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, it is well adapted to receive numerals or other characters for the purpose of indicating by punching the amount and proo of the contents of a barrel, the date of stamping, number of stamp, and of district and other particulars.

The operation is as follows: The iiap C and toothed plat-e F being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the stamp is pasted over the plates B F, the pins 'j' penetrating through it. The ilap C is then vclosed down over the stamp, and is locked in this position by the spring-catch E. The stamp will now be` clearly exposed to view, but cannot possibly be removed for re-use without being canceled and destroyed. When the defaced stamp is to be removed, and the barrel or other package prepared for the reception of a new one, a key is inserted in the orifice or key-hole in the pivot 1) of the arm or plate F. The key being then turned will carry the plate F around, thereby tearing` and defacing` the stamp by the agency of the teeth f. This being` accomplished, the arm Y F, or a projecting bit on the key, comes in conerating as herein described, in connection with the plate or frame B, ap C, and lock D E.

To the above specification of my improvement in stamp-cancelers I have signed my hand this lst day of November, 1871.

` FRANKLIN W. BROOKS.

Witnesses OcTAvIUs KNIGHT, WALTER ALLEN. 

